German plastic surgeons head for Chechnya

A group of twelve German plastic surgeons is en route for Chechnya to help people burned during the years of conflict. More than 3,000 people were killed or injured by mines and about a quarter of them are children.

While the Chechen Republic is going through a rapid reconstruction, the scars of war are still evident.

The news about the German doctors spread around rapidly. For many it is their first chance in more than a decade to get professional medical advice. And for the German doctors, it is their second time in Chechnya. The local authorities hope their example will inspire others.

“As a doctor and as a mother, I wish we had more foreign specialists. These twelve German doctors are an enormous help but it is not enough to treat everybody who needs medical attention,” said Fatima Aslakhanova, Deputy Chief of Chechnya's Clinical Hospital.

The German doctors have not even left, but patients are already enrolling for their next visit.